2010 Volleyball MG
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Athletic Administration source of pride for NSU supporters, Burke is equally proud of the tone which has been set within the NSU athletic program as it relates to academic achievement and community service. Director of Athletics The academic accomplishments are reflected annually in the NCAA's APR and GSR studies. Community service by NSU student-athletes, coaches and Beginning his 15th year as director of athletics staff more than doubled to over 5,000 hours in 2009-10. at Northwestern State, Greg Burke has received Recently, Burke spearheaded the adoption of the slogan “Great Tradition, national acclaim for the job he's done in his adopt- Brighter Future” for NSU Athletics, and the creation of NSU Athletics ed hometown. “Cornerstones” for student-athletes: “Academic Achievement, Personal Athletics director at Northwestern since speak- Responsibility, Competitive Success … Every Minute, Every Hour, Every Day!” ing at the annual NSU/Independence Bowl Kickoff In 2005, Burke was one of three recipients of the All-America Football Luncheon on August 29, 1996, Burke is the Foundation's Gen. Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award and longest-serving AD at any Louisiana institution. that same year, was also tabbed as one of two Natchitoches Parish Cenla He has steered NSU athletics to many of its Newsmakers of 2005 by the Alexandria Town Talk newspaper's editorial staff. greatest accomplishments while overseeing a program that has fielded chamHe received the 2006 “Outstanding Alumni Award” from his pionship caliber teams in nearly all of the school's NCAA alma mater, Marlington High School in Alliance, Ohio, recogDivision I sports. The Burke File nizing his community service and professional achieveIn June, he was included among 29 winners of the Under AGE: 53 (Born Oct. 22, 1956) ments. Burke became one of only 21 alumni honored since Amour AD of the Year Award presented by the National HOMETOWN: Alliance, Ohio the award was instituted in 1982. Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). HIGH SCHOOL: Marlington ’74 In June 2006, he was a featured speaker and panelist at He was also among four winners chosen to be involved COLLEGE: Mt. Union ’78 (cum laude) the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Directors conin a Street and Smith's SportsBusiness Journal panel dis- POSTGRADUATE: Kent State ’86 vention in New Orleans, addressing members of the College cussion on current Division I athletics issues. Joining NSU's BEFORE HE WAS A.D.: Sports writer, Athletic Business Managers of America and also participatAlliance (Ohio) Review, 1972-78; director Burke were Purdue's Morgan Burke (no relation), Samford's ing in a panel discussion of "Fundraising from an Athletic Bob Roller and Lee Fowler of North Carolina State, with the of news and sports information, Hiram Director's Perspective" speaking to the National Association College (1978-85); administrative transcript of their discussion distributed to national media by (Ohio) intern, NSU athletics, 1985-86; director, of Athletic Development Directors. the Sports Business Daily. Burke is the 2010-11 president NSU Athletic Association, 1986-92; direc- Since 2007, Burke has been a member of the prestigious of the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors tor of athletic development, University of NCAA Championships/Sports Management Cabinet, a 49Association. Akron, 1992-96. person panel which makes recommendations to the NCAA Burke's 14 years as athletic director include 32 BIG FAN OF: Cleveland Browns, Board of Directors on key issues facing Division I athletics. Southland Conference regular-season or tournament cham- Indians and Cavaliers He previously served a four-year term on the NCAA Division pionships, 51 All-American and Academic All-American stu- INTERESTS: Working out, watching I Football Issues Committee (1999-2002) and concurrently ESPN and VH1 Classic, family outings. dent athletes, and three U.S. Olympic competitors. served a term on the eight-member NCAA FCS Committee Seventeen NSU teams have taken part in NCAA or WNIT that administers the national playoffs. Since his committee postseason competition. term expired, Burke has served as a site supervisor for Football Championship Under his guidance, Northwestern State has led all 13 public institutions in Subdivision playoff games across the nation and he is regarded as one of the Louisiana, and all 12 Southland Conference institutions, in the NCAA's country's premiere advocates of FCS football. He currently is third vice-presAcademic Progress Rate and Graduation Success Rate reports. The school's ident of the FCS Athletic Director's Association. athletic facilities have undergone nearly $6 million in improvements in the past In 2004, NSU received the highest possible rating, "fully certified," from the four years. National Collegiate Athletic Association, affirming that Northwestern operates NSU in 2004-05 became the first (and remains the only) Southland its athletic program in substantial conformity with operating principles adopted Conference member in the league's five decades of history to sweep football, by the NCAA Division I membership. men's basketball and baseball championships in the same athletic year. It's Burke is a past president of the Natchitoches Kiwanis Club and remains been done only once in Southeastern Conference history, by Alabama in 1933- active in that civic group. He has also been part of the steering committee for 34, and only four times in Big Ten Conference history, the last time by Michigan the Natchitoches Christmas Festival and is a former president of the State in 1979-80. Natchitoches Area Jaycees. He is involved with the American Heart Those accomplishments have come with one of the more modest athletic Association and was 2010 March of Dimes chairman locally. budgets in the state and conference. Burke's management skill and fundraisHe and his wife, Susu, a Natchitoches native, NSU graduate and elemening ability have been pivotal. tary teacher, have a 16-year-old daughter, Catherine, who is a junior at St. Burke generated a $2 million series of sponsorships for new scoreboards Mary's High School, a cheerleader, the point guard on the Lady Tigers basketinstalled for 2008-09 at all NSU athletic venues and spearheaded the ball team, and a member of the tennis team. $700,000 Second Century Circle fencing project for athletic venues. Burke has displayed a remarkable ability to hire dynamic head coaches, including several whose success at Northwestern State has propelled them to national prominence in subsequent positions. Some of his best hires remain on staff at NSU. Two, basketball's Mike McConathy and soccer's Jimmy Mitchell, guided Northwestern in NCAA Tournament play in their second seasons and have been back to postseason since. NSU's 2006 basketball team scored one of the most memorable upsets in the history of March Madness, coming from 17 down to stun No. 15-ranked Iowa 64-63. Burke has selected head coaches who have subsequently been hired by Alabama, Florida, Missouri, New Mexico, Kentucky, Virginia, Mississippi State and Wichita State. From his first day on the job, Burke has stressed the importance of having a balanced athletic program. To that end, tremendous competitive strides have been made in women's athletics under his guidance. The NSU soccer program was the first one in Louisiana ever to reach the NCAA Tournament. Volleyball set attendance records and made its best-ever showings in conference play in recent years. In softball, NSU posted the nation's most improved win total in 2010 regular-season play under second-year coach Donald Pickett. The Lady Demons joined Stanford as the only women's tennis programs in the country in 2010 with only one regular-season loss, while sweeping Southland regular-season and tournament titles and making a first-ever NCAA Team Tournament appearance. While on-field success by Demon and Lady Demon teams has been a Greg Burke with wife Susu and daughter Catherine.
Greg Burke
Great Tradition • Brighter Future
www.nsudemons.com
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